Time marches on
by LullabyElf93
Summary: What would happen if Leslie didn't die and was in a coma until she was 16.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

That's strange, she thought to herself, Jesse isn't home.

The rain poured down heavily outside. She reluctantly made her way to the river. The rope was still there, it looked fine to her. Her vision was blurred by the rain. Nevertheless she had to look for Jesse. What was he doing in Terabithia in the pouring rain?

She took hold of the rope and swung as hard as she could. The rope was slippery and she could not hold on to it for very long. The river current held her against her will and she fell into an abyss of darkness, slipping away from the mortal world.

*

"Thanks for the ride, Miss Edmunds," said Jesse to the young teacher sitting in the car. "No problem Jesse," she answered before she drove away.

Jesse ran into the living room. "I'm home," he shouted. All of a sudden his whole family was hugging him and crying with joy. "What's wrong?" he asked. His mother looked at him with tear filled eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked again. Reluctantly, his mother replied, "Your friend Leslie is in the hospital. She had an accident. Her parents called us half and hour ago and said she was in surgery. We thought you were with her Jesse, we thought you were dead," His mother gently filled him with the rest of the details.

"NO! That is a lie! She can't be dying, she can't be,"

A sob escaped from Jesse's throat. Memories of his best friend flashed through his mind. I have to get to her quickly, thought Jesse.

"We need to get to the hospital now!" shouted Jesse, pushing everybody out of the way. "Hold on son, let me get the keys to the truck, I'll drive you there," said his father.

The ride to the hospital was a quiet one. Jesse felt miserable. It was his entire fault that his best friend is dying. He should have turned down Miss Edmunds' offer. At least he could have stopped Leslie from going to Terabithia. It was his entire fault.

To be continued ……


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

_Several years later……_

Jesse entered the building in his usual fashion. In his hands he held a small bouquet of bright flowers and one of his drawings. Many years have passed by and Jesse was no longer the fearful boy that he was before he met Leslie. The 16 year old was now the captain of the track team and he was also the president of the art club. His teachers observed that he had a keen interest in learning and many students looked up to him.

Deep in his heart, Jesse knew he owed it all to Leslie. She had taught him to open his mind to every possibility and to over come the horrors that reality can bring. He stared into Leslie's face. No flicker, he thought to himself.

She lay there calmly, oblivious to everything around her. Even though she was in a coma, she grew tall and her hair was longer than it was in her childhood. She was older in appearance but Jesse wondered whether she was the same on the inside.

He sat down on the chair next to her. The doctors told him that despite the fact that Leslie was in a deep sleep, she still might hear him. He talked to her gently about recent events. Still no flicker, he thought.

*

"Where have you been?" she asked. Bill Burke was silent. Judy could not ask more. His expression terrified her.

Judy Burke worried about her husband Bill. Ever since their daughter Leslie landed in the hospital a few years ago, he had been acting strangely. He started going to the local bar every night, each time he went he would come home drunk and angry. Judy desperately wanted to ignore his terrible condition but she knew the reason behind it. She had also become distraught over the accident of her daughter.

Prince Terrien noticed her troubled expression. He licked her hand and whined softly. "I miss her too PT," she answered, giving him a pat. She thought about her husband and how would he react when Leslie woke up. She had been in a deep sleep for six years now but Judy was no where near giving up her daughter's life.

Money was becoming scarce for them both. Judy knew that in her husband's condition he would not be able to write anything. She needed to write a new book, maybe even get a new job. The hospital fees were expensive. She desperately needed to keep her daughter alive at no matter what cost.

To be continued…….


End file.
